Rep. Ken Buck, who has criticized President Biden’s impeachment, wants Vice President Kamala Harris to oppose her boss.
Mr. Buck, 65, (R-Colo.) on Monday filed the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, which requires Ms. Harris, 59, to convene a Cabinet meeting and declare support for a majority of Cabinet members and Mr. Biden, 81. A resolution was submitted calling for the invocation of the Article. “I don’t have the ability to perform my duties.”
The Republican lawmaker cited Special Counsel Robert Hur’s damning 388-page report released earlier this month, raising questions about the president’s mental strength.
Mr. Hsu argued that Mr. Biden “intentionally kept and disclosed classified materials,” but declined to press charges, fearing that a jury might view Mr. Biden as a “well-meaning old man with a poor memory.” .
Mr. Biden’s team has fiercely refuted Mr. Hsu’s characterization of the president’s forgetfulness, and media outlets have also highlighted parts of the report that suggest Mr. Biden knowingly kept some classified materials. criticized.
When Biden, 81, tried to refute the Hull report at a press conference, he referred to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah as the “President of Mexico,” stirring up concerns about his age.
“Numerous instances are clearly described in the report and fully laid out in public, demonstrating President Biden’s clear cognitive decline and lack of mental stamina.” Buck said in a statement:.
“The social challenges and security threats facing our country are countless, and we need a chief executive officer who is both mentally and physically strong. I want the Vice President and the Cabinet to put our country first. , the time has come to move forward in invoking the 25th Amendment.”
Ironically, Buck is fiercely critical House Republicans pushed to launch an impeachment inquiry against Biden last fall, claiming the party was “relying on an imagined history.”
An impeachment inquiry is different from the actual impeachment process for removing a president from office, but is generally intended to be a step in that direction.
Then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) launched the investigation on September 12 without a floor vote, citing a lack of support within his own party. back in december joined his fellow Republicans Despite his earlier criticism, he has formally launched an impeachment inquiry.
Recently, back opposed Republican efforts Impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas for alleged dereliction of duty. On February 13, the House impeached him by a vote of 214-213. Buck was one of three Republicans to vote against it.
The 25th Amendment to the Constitution was adopted in 1967 in the event of the president’s death, removal, resignation, or incapacity following the assassination of John F. Kennedy four years earlier.
Critics of former President Donald Trump used the same tactic during his administration to threaten his ouster.
Buck isn’t the only Republican thinking about using the 25th Amendment against Biden. Others include Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (Republican, New York); Even Trump He himself put the idea on hold.
Biden is the oldest president in U.S. history, and numerous polls point to Americans’ anxiety about his status as an octogenarian.
Recent ABC News/Ipsos poll It found that 86% of voters think the president is too old to serve another term, while 62% feel the same way about Trump, who is 77 years old.
The newspaper has contacted the White House for comment.
